


from secret springs

by penscritch



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Humor, Introspection, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-02-05 14:12:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1821337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penscritch/pseuds/penscritch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A quiet winter celebration in which their mortal pasts are not discussed but understood in light of their powers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	from secret springs

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the poem “Mont Blanc” by Percy Shelley. It’s a long and complicated poem basically glorifying the raw power of nature and poetry and creation. I thought it rather fitting considering that both Hitsugaya and Matsumoto’s shikai derive from elements: ice/water for Hitsugaya and ash/fire for Matsumoto.

“Mou, Taichou.”

Hitsugaya glares half-heartedly from his pile of paperwork. There are slight smudges underneath his eyes that Matsumoto’s quick eyes note and file away.

“How come you’re so fuddy-duddy?”

“… what.”

Matsumoto laughs delightedly, a rich timbre that bounces off the walls cheerfully. “Fuddy-duddy! It was in this one book Orihime-chan lent me, and it was sooo romantic.”

She presses her hands to her face and sighs dramatically. Perhaps unfortunately her bosom moves with her, giving the impression of mountains breathing. It’s certainly nothing Hitsugaya appreciates at the moment, because his paperwork is piled as high as her breasts when she’s standing and those “girls” of hers have caused at least a third of the reports concerning assault and property damage.

To be precise, assault on unfortunate officers who came too close and encountered Matsumoto’s vicious right-and-left-hook, and the subsequent damage when they were thrown through walls or furniture.

“Mouuu, taichou.”

“ _What._ ”

“Let’s have a moon-viewing party!”

“Goddammit, Matsumoto!” he yells, but he lets himself get hauled out of the office. Today is perhaps one of the few days he will make an allowance for Matsumoto’s whims. He’s certain she knows as well.

It’s winter, after all.

 

Matsumoto pours steaming tea from a thermos, sacrificing presentation for practicality. The cups are standard porcelain though, plain white with slightly rounded bottoms. Hitsugaya takes advantage of the shape to cup one in his hand, inhaling the scent of warm black tea, and exhaling.

His breath comes out in a plume, not unlike a dragon’s breath.

Matsumoto knows he doesn’t really like winter, but he doesn’t dislike it either. There is too much of himself in it for him to truly hate it, even though he’s more quiet and pensive at this time of year than any other.

She wonders what it’s like, to stare at the mirror of your soul every year.

In her mind Haineko prowls soundlessly, glittering eyes and soft gray ash sparked with gold embers. There’s a reason why she tries not to look at any remnant of fire too long, some distant memory of pain and fire and burned remains smearing the ground and sky into uniform color.

“Taichou~”

“What, Matsumoto.”

She snuggles up to him as an answer. Surprisingly, he doesn’t protest. Matsumoto knows he understands. They sit together that night, watching the pale moon and its attendant stars until the world turns and rosy dawn filters through the dark. They are not too cold or too hot and there is a trusted companion at their side.

That is enough.

**Author's Note:**

> My hypothesis is that every Shinigami or Hollow’s powers derive in some part from an important experience in their past life. I think Matsumoto was killed as a child in Pompeii via Mount Vesuvius (I know, there’s that theory about a heat wave being the killer rather than the ash but I’m sticking with the ash in this story). Hitsugaya was killed sometime later as a child – albino children (I assume he is one) are ostracized in just about every culture in the olden days. He was abandoned fairly early, leading to his death in the winter when he was without shelter. Since Hyourinmaru’s an Asian dragon, specifically Chinese, I assume he came from China or Japan. 
> 
> “Fuddy-duddy” is a term that comes from Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind.” Yes, that book; Matsumoto likes racy romances. :3


End file.
